Consequences
by ChloeBee AlexisPrime
Summary: Sequel to "Responsibility". 14 years have passed since Optimus and Ratchet had their daughter Scarlet and adopted Sapphire. Now new Autobots are arriving, and with them, trouble. Tired of being the enemy within the base, Sapphire sets out to get all the information she can on who her family really is, and Scarlet's along for the ride. The war is far from over.
1. Drip

That didn't take long... Here's the first chapter to the promised sequel to "Responsibility". Hope you guys enjoy, the real fun hasn't even started... Please review!

* * *

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Ratchet tried to ignore the sound.

_Drip. Drip. Drip. _

Ratchet's optic twitched.

_**Drip. Drip. **__**Drip.**_

"Sapphire!" Ratchet suddenly shouted. Sapphire's doorwings moved to a high 'V' shape, and she looked at Ratchet in surprise.

"Yes Sire?"

"Go find that slagging leak and make it stop!" Ratchet hissed. Sapphire could only blink at the medic. After a moment, she sighed and held out her datapad for him to take. He grabbed it from her with the promise to keep it safe from the other Autobots on base. Especially two of them whose existence was solely to annoy the living daylights out of their fellow Autobots. Sapphire quickly saluted before heading off down the hall to find the afore-mentioned leak. Ratchet sighed and glanced over the datapad, smirking at the contents. It was an assignment that Optimus had given her a few days ago. He couldn't remember exactly when Optimus expected to have it handed in, but Sapphire was almost finished, and her work was quite good.

Sapphire found the leak easily enough. It was one of the main Energon lines that fed power to the many devices Ratchet had going. Unfortunately, it was high up on the wall. Eager to please Ratchet rather than go and find Optimus, who could easily fix the leak because he was much taller, Sapphire climbed onto a few of the lower pipes. She wobbled at first, but was able to regain her balance. She still couldn't reach it, she realized with dismay. A low growl left her as she stretched her back to see if it would help her reach it.

"Whatcha doin'?" a voice asked suddenly. Sapphire shrieked, and her wheeled pedes lost their grip on the pipe. She completely lost her balance, and the ground rushed up to embrace her. It would have, had two mechs not pulled her into their arms to keep her from crashing to the silo's floor.

"Primus, you're clumsy," Sunstreaker's snarky voice snapped at her. Sapphire merely leaned against the two supporting her entire weight.

"You alright Fire?" Sideswipe asked.

"Thanks for the spark attack guys. Don't go scaring femmes when they're already in a dangerous spot," she said. Sideswipe smirked and helped Sapphire straighten.

"What were you doing anyways?" Sunstreaker inquired, looking up at the pipes above them. His sharp optics pinpointed the leak, and he smirked. "The Hatchet?" Sapphire returned the expression.

"Uh huh. Lasted longer this time," Sapphire replied. The three shared a brief laugh that was shattered by the sudden wail of a police siren causing Sapphire to scream. She practically jumped into Sideswipe's arms, hanging off him. Prowl gave them a each a sharp look as he walked up, glancing up at the leak.

"Prime won't be impressed to hear that you're with the twins again," Prowl stated, fixing Sapphire with a glare. The femme let go of Sideswipe, released her wheels, and skated away from him. She smiled at Prowl with a gentle look. The two weren't exactly on good terms. Prowl still felt that Sapphire needed to be under constant surveillance. Sapphire was trying her best to get Prowl to trust her, but the police car was having none of it. Though she did appreciate not staring down the barrel of a blaster every time she saw him or being treated like a prisoner just because she was part Decepticon. She moved forward with an eery grace and placed on of her servos on his shoulder, looking down at him.

"Daddy won't care when he finds out that I was doing as Sire asked. I'm here to fix the pipe," she said in self-defence. "Do you know where Daddy or Scarlet are by any chance? I need to hand in my assignment and I'm bored just standing here talking with the twins."

"I will take care of the pipe. _Optimus Prime_ and Scarlet are in the training room. Jazz wishes to see you in a military situation so he can see how well you fight," Prowl replied, a mild frown marring his faceplates at the use of a human title for his Prime. He couldn't help the very slight sympathetic smile that made its way to his face when he watched her doorwing droop at the statement.

Jazz had only trained with her twice since they arrived on Earth, and already it was like a death sentence for her. Prowl tried to avoid calling it 'training' because he didn't like the idea of training a Decepticon with Autobot techniques. Jazz, however, had been incredibly interested in teaching Sapphire how to properly fight a Decepticon. He offered to train both young femmes, but they had to be ready to train at any time, whenever he wanted. There was no choice, expect that they needed a certain amount of time to rest, and they couldn't shirk their responsibilities.

"Right... Guess I better get the torture over with. Thanks for dealing with the pipe. Sire'll kill me if it's not taken care of, and _no_, it's not a suggestion before any of you take it like that. So long mechs," Sapphire said. Her mask and visor slipped down, concealing her features before she glided past Prowl, tapping the edge of his doorwing as she did so. Prowl's doorwings dropped almost horizontally in anger, and he grumbled to himself about Sapphire's inappropriate attitude. The twins simply walked away before Prowl got the bright idea to punish them for being in the area. They'd catch up with Scarlet and Sapphire later.


	2. Newcomers

"It's beautiful out here." Sapphire's voice broke through Scarlet's thoughts easily. She looked up and over her shoulder, and was more than a little surprised to see Sapphire limping towards her.

"Sapphire? You okay?" she asked her sister. Sapphire nodded, making her way over to the tri-colored femme. She sat down beside her little sister, her optics darting around the open sky.

"I'm going to kill Jazz," Sapphire joked. Scarlet grinned. Moments like this were rare. Sapphire had to watch every word around the newer bots. The twins wouldn't take the statement seriously, nor would Jazz, but Prowl would use it as evidence to make her a prisoner. But around Scarlet, Sapphire could be herself. Something she really appreciated. Being 'perfect' was difficult. Being Prowl's form of 'perfect' was brutal.

"What he do this time?" Scarlet questioned, returning her gaze to the sky. She heard Sapphire sigh.

"I don't do well in situations where I have nothing but a gun. Sadly Jazz loves that fact. His trap back fired and caught us both. Sire's gonna kill me. I nearly shattered Jazz's visor. But that's what he gets for trying to snap my leg in half."

"Ooooh, nice. Where ya gonna hide?" Scarlet asked with a smirk. Sapphire merely grinned, grabbed a rock, and tossed it over the edge of the silo. They both watched as it soared through the air, connecting with the hood of a certain yellow and black muscle car. She smiled sweetly at her sister.

"Have fun Sisterlet! I need to find Sire before he hunts me down. Or worse, Daddy finds me," Sapphire said, rising to her pedes and heading back inside. Scarlet squeaked, very aware of the fact that Bumblebee had transformed and was waving to get her attention.

**::Sapphire! You're evil!::**

**::Yes, yes I know. I'm just helping you out::**

**::You're too much like Sire!:: **

**::Thanks for the compliment Sisterlet. I'll see you later::**

Bumblebee called up to her, and Scarlet forced a smile. "Hi Bee," she yelled back. "I'll be down in a sec." She stood up, only to stop when he told her that he'd come up instead. She retook her seat, studying the sheet of stars that stretched out before her. The beauty of the night helped her relax. After all, it was only Bumblebee. The bot she had a crush on.

Scarlet sat there in silence until she heard the sound of a bot approaching.

"_Nice out here,_" Bumblebee said, taking Sapphire's seat. His servo rested on the rocks beside Scarlet's as he leaned back to look up at the stars.

"Yeah, it is," Scarlet replied softly. Bumblebee looked over and there was a smile in his optics. "Listen... Bee... Umm..." She started, only to trail off when she realized that she didn't know what to say. Bumblebee nodded to try to get Scarlet to continue and felt a like disappointed when she merely told him to ignore that she'd spoken.

"_Oh. Wasn'__t Sapphire up here a minute ago?"_ Bumblebee asked gently to try to help put Scarlet at ease.

"Umm yeah… She was… She was the one who threw that rock not me!" Scarlet's sentence was fast enough that it took Bumblebee a minute to understand it. Once he did, he gave a slow nod.

"_I'm not bothered by the rock. It let me know you __were up here,"_ Bumblebee said. Scarlet nodded slowly herself. Bumblebee looked back up at the stars.

"W-what were you up to anyways?" Scarlet asked shyly. She kept her optics on the desert as she spoke.

"_Just driving. You?"_

"Just… looking up at the stars… Prefer it at night and out here compared to in there with the Twins' antics…"

"_Don't blame you. I heard Prowl complaining about something inside…"_

"Was it about Sapphire again? He never lets it go…" Scarlet asked with a slight sigh. Bumblebee shrugged.

"_I _think_ there were a few complaints about her mixed with the death threats for the twins_," he replied, earning himself a giggle.

"There are _always_ death threats for the Twins… It wouldn't surprise me if they _were_ arguing about Sapphire."

"_At least the Twins try to keep Prowl in a good mood to get him to leave your sister alone," _Bumblebee pointed out upon finding the one upside to having the Twins around.

"Mm… It nearly works… Sadly not enough to make Prowl leave her alone…" Scarlet said. She could feel her spark racing at how nerve-racking it was to be seated and talking with Bumblebee. Normally she avoided contact with Bumblebee because she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of him. Thanks to her sister, that wasn't possible this time.

"_Yeah… I don't think she deserves what Prowl gives her," _Bumblebee stated. Scarlet nodded in agreement. _"I bet you're glad he doesn't bother you."_

"Mhm… Although I'd rather it was me than Sapphire," Scarlet replied with a nod. "I don't like when Sapphire keeps getting told off for doing nothing at all by Prowl… I do wish it were me rather than her…"

"_That's really sweet. Maybe we can do something to help Sapphire out," _Bumblebee said. Scarlet nodded, feeling Energon rushing to her faceplates in a slight blush.

"I wish there was but we'd end up getting her into even more trouble no doubt."

"_Probably… but I'm sure she'd enjoy whatever we planned."_

"Mm… I'd hope so," Scarlet said with a nod. The smile in Bumblebee's optics grew.

"_Yo__u really love your family, don't you?"_ he asked. Scarlet nodded and confirmed what he thought. He looked down at her and she kept her optics on the stars to hide the blush that was staining her face. _"__Just curious. What does Sapphire do for you? If you're trying to keep her out of trouble from Prowl, what does she do to help you?"_ As Scarlet thought of how to reply, Bumblebee looked back up at the stars. He wasn't trying to get her upset or even angry. He was only trying to still put her at ease.

"She's just there for me when I need her… Always," Scarlet replied softly. Bumblebee nodded while Scarlet continued to look out at her soundings.

"_Sounds like a good relationship between sisters,"_ he said. Scarlet nodded.

"It is."

"_That's great," _Bumblebee said. He caught sight of Arcee racing towards the base. _"There's Arcee. I need to talk to her. I'll see you later Scarlet."_He stood as he spoke, looking down at Scarlet. The femme only nodded and stayed seated. Bumblebee headed back inside, passing Sapphire as he did.

"Sisterlet?" Sapphire called. She stayed near the entrance, choosing to not walk over to where Scarlet was. The tri-coloured femme jumped a little and turned, smiling once she saw Sapphire.

"Hi Sapphire!"

"Sire wants you inside. A few new Autobots are here he said…"

"Okay," Scarlet responded. She stood, dusted herself off from the grime of being outside on the rocks, and followed Sapphire as the older femme headed back inside. "Did he say who's here?"

"No, he didn't," Sapphire replied. "I'm not sure I'm looking forward to meeting any new Autobots…"

"Me too… What if they copy Prowl? And they're mean to you?" Scarlet asked in concern. Sapphire wrapped an arm around Scarlet's shoulder.

"That's what I'm scared of… but if they are I'll be okay. I've managed with Prowl so far."

Scarlet hugged her sister as she said, "It's still not fair he's mean to you!"

"I know. But since it's not going to change, I'll deal with it."

"Still not fair."

"It won't ever be fair. But as long as I'm me he won't leave me alone."

"I know… I wish there was there was something I could do to make him leave you alone."

"I don't know if there is. I've tried leaving my blades in my quarters, working with him on the battlefield, inviting him to training sessions, and even just staying around Dad. Nothing works," Sapphire said with a sigh. Scarlet did the same.

"Prowl sucks sometimes..."

"I completely agree..."

"Mm... Come on, Sire's waiting for us no doubt," Scarlet said. They picked up their pace towards the main room. She felt her shyness growing with every step. There would be more Autobots on base to try to deal with. She latched onto Sapphire and followed behind her sister. She could see that Sapphire felt the same for her doorwings were tense and high. Reluctantly they came into view of the others.

A large black mech was having a conversation with Optimus and Ratchet. His arms were weighted by heavy cannons that made Sapphire a little nervous. His paint was scratched and dented, his face scarred, and overall he looked like a rough mech that both femmes wanted to avoid

With Prowl were two doorwinged mechs, both similar in shape and size to Prowl. One had a dark grey stripe on his chassis that ran vertically with the other was mostly blue.

The femmes accidentally brought the attention to themselves upon entering the room. Ratchet smiled at them. "Sapphire, Scarlet, these are the new Autobots," he said. The black mech looked away from Optimus and nodded to the femmes with a smile. Prowl turned and faced the femmes.

"Why don't the two of you come meet the newcomers?" he asked, mildly glaring at Sapphire. Scarlet barely bit back a hiss. She took her sister's servo and led her forward.

"C'mon Sapph…" she said softly. Sapphire reluctantly followed. Optimus glanced at Ratchet but didn't say anything as the femmes approached. What worried him the most was the fact that Sapphire wore both symbols. She had smaller Decepticon symbols partially concealed by much larger red Autobot symbols on each doorwing.

Ironhide caught sight of the Decepticon symbols, and his optics narrowed; Scarlet's doing the same when she saw his expression. Suddenly he pulled his lunged forward and pinned Sapphire harshly against the wall. He shoved the barrel of his gun into Sapphire's face and she winced, not fighting him.

"_Let Sapphire go!_" Scarlet screamed.

She growled in anger as Optimus added, "All of you stand down!" Neither moved. "Now!" Scarlet moved first, slowly tucking away her guns as Ironhide released Sapphire so suddenly the femme fell. The tri-colored femme joined her sister as she stood, glaring at Ironhide who steadily glared at them both.

"You've got a 'Con on base?" he asked. He ignored the fact that Sapphire winced.

"Sapphire is _not_ a Decepticon!"

"Scarlet is right, Ironhide. Sapphire is not a Decepticon," Optimus said.

"Sure had me fooled with the 'Con symbol on her."

"Only because her carrier is a Decepticon," Optimus stated with a very slight glare, fighting the protective programing that was coming to the surface.

"Then she's still a Decepticon," Ironhide growled. Optimus scowled slightly while Scarlet growled.

"While her sire is an Autobot."

"You'd be wise to remember that… bud…" Scarlet added, earning herself a growled. She hissed back. "I dislike you already. First impressions count and you didn't do so good." Ironhide started to respond, only to be cut off by Sapphire's voice.

"Nice to meet you. Ironhide, is it?" He growled. Sapphire ignored the sound, wrapping an arm around her sister's shoulders. "Look. I could get upset and angry at you for shoving a cannon in my face, but I'm trying to be NICE to you. Despite the fact that you missed the Autobot symbols, like almost every Autobot I meet. You can rude to me and stand there growl like a rabid dog, or you can deal with the fact that I'm an Autobot and grow up. Nice to meet you all."

Ironhide could only stare, and his mouth was open in surprise. Scarlet muffled giggles at seeing Ironhide told off by her sister. "Same here," Scarlet managed. She followed her sister as the older walked past Ironhide.

"Oooo, you got burned!" Sideswipe said through laughter. He and Sunstreaker ran off.

"Enough out of you two!" Prowl shouted.

"I'm gonna stick a cannon where the sun don' shine…" Ironhide growled. Optimus sighed.

"Why do I get the feeling this will be a reoccurring theme on base?"

"Because it's Ironhide Vs the Twins and our girls?" Ratchet asked in reply. ~Calm down Orion, it'll be ok~

~I'd prefer to keep our daughters _alive_... And having Ironhide on base is going to be very difficult where Sapphire is concerned...~

~I know... But if Scarlet is this protective of her older sister, I think Ironhide may be in trouble...~

~I can see that...~

Ratchet turned back to the monitor, hiding a smile. ~Indeed…~


	3. Fight

"Leave me _alone_!"

"Whoa!" Ironhide yelped slightly as a blade flew through the air and wedged in the door frame beside his helm. His optics narrowed in anger.

"Stop following me! There are other Autobots you can stalk!" Sapphire snapped.

"I'm not 'stalking' you," Ironhide responded. "I'm just watchin' ya practice."

"You've followed me since Scarlet left with Dad for patrol. Just because I'm alone doesn't mean I need to be watched like a sparkling! Just leave me alone!" she hissed. She went back to whipping knives at the actual targets in front of her. Her doorwings were tense and high in her annoyance.

"Where'd ya get those?" Ironhide asked. Sapphire vented a sigh.

"My carrier."

"Ya know 'im?"

"No," she replied. The anger had faded in her voice, only to be replaced with a weariness and hurt that made Ironhide almost regret asking. "All I know is that he leaves things for me. Daggers, symbols, datapads, a necklace; whatever he can. And there's always a cube of Energon. He's not sparkless. And Daddy says he didn't want to give me up. It was his way of taking care of me. So for once, it would be worth it to avoid just accusing me of things. Or did you not notice that I wear Autobot symbols that are _larger_ than the Decepticon ones? I'm caught between the sides Ironhide. I can't exactly help that fact."

"An' we're supposed ta know that, how?"

"By asking! Not just attacking! You're lucky you didn't damage me!" Sapphire shrieked. She rounded on Ironhide and approached, stopping only when they were centimeters apart. They were almost exactly the same in height, with Sapphire standing just higher. Her optics were narrowed dangerously.

"Well I'm askin' now," he said calmly. He watched confusion flitter across her face, her doorwings droop slightly, and her stance falter. She moved away and remained silent. She pulled her knife from the door frame and went to collect the others. "Why're you so defensive?"

"You would be too when even your home isn't a safe place," she replied coolly. "With all the new arrivals, I don't even feel like this is my home anymore." Ironhide hid a wince and nodded.

An alarm sounded, making Ironhide jump. Sapphire didn't bat an optic. She merely subspaced her knives and headed to the main room. The black mech followed in silence. He watched her doorwings bounce slightly with every step she took and he couldn't help but take in her sleek frame. It set her apart from the Autobot femmes. They had a gentler look to them. Sapphire's was a thinner, deadlier version minus all the spikes and barbs Decepticons were known for. Her sire had softened the edges.

"Sapphire, Ironhide, we have a problem," Ratchet said once they entered the main room. The two walked over.

"Sire, what is it?"

"Decepticons. Prowl and Jazz are… busy, Scarlet and Prime are out, and the Twins are with Bluestreak and Smokescreen to help them readjust to Earth life," he replied. Sapphire frowned.

"We can manage. Bridge us there, Sire, and we'll see what we can do," she said. Ratchet looked nervous.

"I don't think that's a good idea…"

"Come on, Hatchet, the femme's right. We'll take this one," Ironhide said. The medic looked between them and sighed, opening the ground bridge to the location. His optics begged 'be careful' when he caught hers and she kissed his cheek. Her wheels were released along with her mask and visor. She took her gun when Ratchet offered it, the object normally remaining with the medic or Prime, and hooked it on her hip.

"We will be. Let's go Ironhide," she said. She skated through the bridge with Ironhide on her heels.

The strong sensation of unearthed Energon hit Sapphire, causing her to slow. Her optics closed behind the visor and Ironhide looked at her in concern, unsure of what was going on. Since he had just arrived, he didn't have the information about Sapphire's unique ability. No other Autobot or Decepticon had ever been able to boast of such an ability.

"What is it?" Ironhide asked. It was enough to make Sapphire snap back to reality.

"Energon. A lot of it. The Decepticons have set up a mine," she replied. Ironhide scanned his surroundings briefly and frowned.

"How do ya know?"

"Let me prove it. Follow me," she stated. She started off to Ironhide's left, carefully dodging the rocks the harsh landscape had in the way. She led Ironhide to shelter behind a rock a long distance from where they'd started. She retracted her wheels and pulled a blade from the belt she wore for the sole purpose of being able to carry more weapons. She leaned against the rock slightly and studied the mine just across from them.

"A mine," Ironhide said. Sapphire made a sound.

"Soundwave, regular Vehicons, ugh, Knock Out…" she absently mumbled. Ironhide stared at her; bring her attention back to him. "Don't ask. I'm not on good terms with Knock Out, above all Decepticons. Soundwave avoids me all together though… I don't know why. Look over there. Soundwave has his back to us, and Knock Out's occupied with his blasted paint job. The Vehicons are busy too. We can take the by surprise from here if you wait. I can head in first and distract the Vehicons while you deal with Knock Out and Soundwave."

Once again, Ironhide could only stare. Sapphire's anger was gone; instead she was treating him like an equal. Her words came across as orders with how precise they were and the tone her voice took on. He noticed that his own hostility had faded, and he had almost forgotten that Sapphire could have been on either side.

"You better be careful," he said. Sapphire nodded, pushing off from the rock and rushing forward. She moved as fast as her tires could carry her. She passed Soundwave, ignoring his presence as she lunged forward and shoved her dagger into the throat of one of the Vehicons. She caught the mech and layed him down briefly before moving to the next.

Ironhide whistled and fired, catching Soundwave across the shoulder. The faceless mech had turned to face Sapphire, only to turn to Ironhide when he was shot at. Ironhide joined in attacking the Decepticons from a distance, careful to keep Sapphire in sight at all times. His cannon warmed quickly from use. A grin broke out on Ironhide's face, a chuckle leaving his vocalizer. He barely resisted the urge to shout a taunt at the enemy. This was too much fun.

"Lookie what we have here," Knock Out purred in Sapphire's audio. She tensed. "The little femme's come outta hiding. Beautiful, why don't you come to our side? You're practically one of us already."

"I'm no such thing," Sapphire hissed back. She didn't move. Faintly she could tell that the sounds of the battle were growing closer. The Vehicons couldn't fire on her with Knock Out so close. The mech put a servo on her back just above her aft, the other on her abdomen, just below her spark chamber. She managed to remain still.

"The Autobots don't understand, do they? We Decepticons do… Become one of us. We could use your skills," Knock Out said. Suddenly laser fire grazed his back and he cried out, unimpressed when he spotted Laserbeak nearby. "Traitor!" He withdrew his servos and was promptly punched in the face hard enough to go flying. He connected with the ground harshly and he sat up. Energon dribbled from his mouth. He growled as he climbed back to his pedes. A blade was suddenly thrown and wedged into his shoulder. He screamed.

"Next time, I promise you, I won't miss," Sapphire hissed. She hadn't missed at all. But killing Knock Out wasn't something she wanted to do at the moment. Knock Out ran forward and swung out at her, just missing because she raised an arm to protect herself. He swung again and caught her in the side. He continued to pound her, forcing her back. She kept her arms up to protect her chest and helm. She transformed a servo into a blade and stabbed Knock Out's shoulder. He returned the favor with digging the end of his staff into her side.

"One last time, beautiful, join the Decepticons," he said. He twisted the staff into her side further. She gasped. Her claws curled around Knock Out's arm and pulled the staff from her side with a shudder. She kicked him away and put her servo to her side.

"Never. And stop calling me 'beautiful'. The name's Sapphire," she said as she started to walk. She unclipped the gun, which was hooked on the belt by a magnet, and used it instead of her blades. She moved to cover and supported Ironhide from there. She could see his worried expression but dismissed it to focus on the more important aspect of the battle. She couldn't afford to get distracted.

The world blurred for her, and she pushed the visor up. The visor protected her optics but also increased her field of vision because it was set up so she could use the entire thing to see, but it made it harder for when she was injured because it took more energy.

A bolt of energy rushed past her helm and she sighed, tired suddenly to the point that she leaned against what she was using for cover.

**::Ironhide, we need to leave… I can't do this anymore::** Sapphire commed.

**::Wha's the matter?::** he sent back, trying to keep the worry out of his tone. It made Sapphire wince.

**::You wouldn't understand. You don't know me. Pull out. We've caused the Decepticons some damage. They'll be cautious next time. They'll abandon this mine anyways unless they're really low on Energon::**

Ironhide commed Ratchet and a ground bridge was opened nearby. He covered Sapphire's retreat before joining her. They walked through the bridge side by side, and had just entered their base when Sapphire dropped to her knees and cried out in agony.


	4. Pain

I'm really not happy with the end of this chapter. But I promised ChloeBee I'd get it up. I'm so scared to write Scarlet that I seem to focus on Sapphire's side of the story a lot more than Scarlet's. Both femmes are very important to the story, and it's really starting to bother me that I can't seem to include Scarlet enough. Not to mention that I'm losing the will to write. That's something I'm terrified of... Anyways, I don't think that matters that much to anyone, so... please enjoy, I'll try to get the next chapter up soon.

* * *

Ratchet moved to his adopted daughter's side without saying a word. He wrapped his arms around her gently, tucking her helm under his chin. He rubbed the base of one her doorwings. Sapphire whimpered slightly, her frame shuddering with a pained sob.

Ironhide watched in silence. Yet another look into the femme that he hadn't expected, making him feel worse for attacking her in the first place. He hadn't known just who Sapphire was. And she had a point. She did wear the Autobot symbol on both of her doorwings. If only he had stopped to ask…

A shout from the young femme startled him from his thoughts and he returned his attention to her. She finally relaxed after a minute and clung to Ratchet. The red and white mech just gently tightened his grip on her and straightened.

"What's wrong?" Ironhide asked. Ratchet grunted. There was no actual reply, instead Ratchet moved Sapphire to a medical berth. Her side was still torn open from Knock Out's staff with dents lining her torso. It stung being ignored, but Ironhide brushed it off like he normally did. He stood out of the way as Ratchet worked on Sapphire's side.

The blue femme was surprisingly well-behaved, staying quiet and doing what was asked of her. Ratchet would gently lift her arm and she'd hold still, keeping her arm up until Ratchet finished. It was a painful injury to repair, with the way the metal was crumpled inwards. Even so, she didn't make a sound. Ironhide had to admire that. He shook his helm sharply, ridding it of the very thought. Something about her made him curious to learn about her. He wasn't sure why, but she was interesting to him.

"I'm fine. I'm just… tired," Sapphire said to Ratchet. She tapped her claws gently on his arm. She stood and started down the hall further into the base. Her doorwings drooped as she walked.

"Sapphire, Sapphire wait!" Ratchet called. He followed his daughter towards her quarters that she shared with Scarlet. She threw open the door and curled up on her berth. Ratchet sat at on the edge of it and held her close. "What happened?"

"Knock Out…" she whispered. She hugged her adopted sire back, thankful for his presence. Just like Scarlet, both Ratchet and Optimus wanted to allow her to be herself since they knew what she was like. Even around Bumblebee or Jazz or the Twins she still strained to be 'perfect' though she knew it was impossible. The thought made her bury her helm in Ratchet's shoulder.

"Oh," he said, "Again?" She nodded. "You're an Autobot. One of us… No matter what anyone says, you're one of us. You don't have the spark of a Decepticon. How's your helm?"

"Doesn't hurt anymore."

"Good. You just need to rest… I'll let Optimus know when he gets back that it happened again."

"Sire, why is it only me? Scarlet doesn't deal with this," Sapphire asked. Ratchet frowned, wishing like normal that he knew the answer. Every once in a while, Sapphire would experience great pain that seemed to have no cause. Nothing Ratchet did would ever help, and the only thing they could really do was hold her as she suffered. He didn't know why it happened but they had one clue. The clue was that Optimus felt the matrix react when he was near Sapphire during the times of pain. They just hoped that it wouldn't be for the rest of her life.

"I don't know," he honestly responded. Sapphire sighed and nuzzled him for a moment before she yawned, still feeling the effects of losing Energon. It was making her dizzy; the taste, the smell, the feeling of Energon in the air. Ratchet just chuckled softly and laid her down with a smile. "Tired?"

"Mhm…"

"Recharge, then…"

Ratchet stayed until she fell into recharge. He left in time to see Scarlet and Optimus return. They were both coated in a thick layer of dirt and grime from their patrol. Scarlet picked at the dirt but smiled when she saw Ratchet.

"Hey Sire!" she said cheerily, in a good mood from the time spent with Optimus. The medic nodded.

"Optimus, I need to talk to you when you have a moment. Good to see you're both safe," Ratchet distractedly stated. Optimus frowned as he opened his mask. He wiped the dirt from his optics.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. Ratchet stared at Optimus and sighed.

"Sapphire's in recharge," he said to them both. Scarlet's good mood faded.

"It's really early," she pointed out. Ratchet nodded. "Can I go check on her?" Once again, Ratchet nodded. "Love you Sire, love you Carrier." She left towards her quarters without another word.

When Scarlet disappeared from sight, Ratchet approached Optimus.

"Wash racks? As good a place as any to talk," Optimus suggested, motioning to the state of his armour. His mate nodded, and together they walked to the wash racks.

Neither spoke until Optimus had the water going to muffle their words in case someone was listening that shouldn't have been. He stepped under the spray and began to pick at the dirt just like Scarlet had.

"It happened again," Ratchet stated. Optimus frowned with a brief sigh. "I'm worried, Orion. It's happening more often and for longer."

"There is nothing I can do… If I could help I would, but unfortunately I am in the dark as much as you are. Is she alright?"

"She was distressed and miserable, so no. Apparently the pain went away, but since I don't have a bond with her, I don't know," a bitter note entered Ratchet's voice, making Optimus wince. He gently wrapped his arms around the smaller mech.

It was one thing they struggled with. They had strong bonds with Scarlet but none with Sapphire. Not even a whisper. So trying to take care of her, trying to help her, was difficult for them. They couldn't tell if she was injured without a report, if she was alright emotionally without studying her doorwings and tone of voice, if she was suffering without being careful to analyze every little thing she did. It was a pain that nothing could seem to soothe, and at times they did feel regret that they had chosen to raise her. The reason being the fact that Sapphire knew of bonds but had none, and that all three members of her 'family' couldn't feel her when they were so used to being able to feel those they were so close to. They struggled, but like always they did everything they could to get through it.

"She'll talk to us if something's wrong. We just have to trust her," Optimus assured gently. Ratchet just sighed and leaned into his mate's hold, ignoring the sludge running down the red and blue metal.

"I wish we could do more…"

"Ratchet, we will figure this out. I promise you, we will. But we must have patience," the Prime said. He tilted Ratchet's helm up and kissed him.


End file.
